Masking a Tradition: Cambodia’s New Initiative to Save Lakhon Khol

via Phnom Penh Post, 23 October 2023: The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Cambodia has initiated a lacquer artistry training course for children near Svay Andet pagoda in Kandal province. The aim is to preserve Lakhon Khol, a traditional Khmer Masked Theatre form. The training not only equips young performers to repair their own lacquer masks but also offers economic benefits to the community by enabling the sale of these masks.

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has initiated a training course on lacquer artistry for children living in proximity to Svay Andet pagoda in Kandal province. The goal is to preserve Lakhon Khol, a dance drama genre cherished across the Kingdom for generations.

Also known as Khmer Masked Theatre, it was inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2018, officially as Lakhon Khol Wat Svay Andet.

Chea Bunthoeun, the chief monk of Wat Svay Andet in Lvea Em district’s Sarika commune, told The Post on October 22 that a specialised unit from the ministry’s General Department of Cultural Technology conducted a training course on crafting lacquer masks for the young actors of the pagoda’s Lakhon Khol ensemble on October 21.

Source: Lacquer art training aim to preserve Lakhon Khol